Things That Go Boom, from PRX and Inkstick Media, is accepting original audio documentary pitches from experienced audio creators for its next season.
Things That Go Boom is a women-led podcast that digs into the global security stories you’ve never heard, but should. We do this through a combination of narrative storytelling and documentary, short, accessible explainers, and frank conversations with experts in the field. Our episodes are highly scripted and sound-designed. Reporters weave their way in and out of the episode, but host Laicie Heeley’s voice brings us into every story to help us muddle through the tough questions. (Please, please, please, listen to the show before you pitch.) Our episodes are often picked up by The World on PRX and nationally syndicated across public radio stations through our holiday specials.
We’re excited to share new calls for pitches for TWO upcoming seasons.
Ideally, we’re looking for local reporters with deep knowledge of the stories they pitch. We also welcome ideas from those whose communities are most affected by the systems we cover.
For both, we want stories about how national security policies impact everyday life. We’re collecting pitches for both at the same time and welcome submissions to one or both. Our deadline for pitches has been extended to March 9th.
We pay $5000 for these highly-produced documentaries. This is a flat rate.
Living in the Emergency
Things That Go Boom — Limited Series
We want to look at how emergencies are used to push new agendas (think the Shock Doctrine) or tighten grips on power. And there are so many: terrorism, pandemics, border crises, great-power competition, disinformation, climate disasters, and more.
We’re looking for reported, narrative-driven stories about:
- policies introduced during a crisis that never went away
- decisions made “because there was no time” — and what followed
- communities labeled high-risk, sensitive, or dangerous
- moments when questioning a policy was treated as a threat
- what it feels like to live under constant urgency
We’re especially interested in local stories by local journalists around the world that illuminate larger national dynamics.
We’re not looking for: essays, abstract commentary, or hot takes about current politicians.
Subject line: TTGB Pitch — Living in the Emergency
Nuclear Security, Right Now
Things That Go Boom — Upcoming Season
When many people think about the nuclear threat, they think about history — the Cold War, duck-and-cover drills, Oppenheimer.
But nuclear weapons are being built, modernized, transported, stored, and cleaned up right now — in real communities, by real workers, with real consequences. Civilian nuclear energy is being held hostage as a weapon of war, and bartered over between countries as strategic infrastructure.
We’re developing a season focused on present-day nuclear impacts grounded in lived experience rather than abstract policy.
We’re looking for stories from:
- communities near nuclear production, storage, or cleanup sites
- workers inside the nuclear weapons complex
- people living with environmental contamination and long-term health effects
- secrecy and barriers to public oversight
- local fights over modernization or waste storage
- the everyday realities of living with the bomb
We’re not looking for: Cold War retrospectives, biographies, or deterrence theory.
Subject line: TTGB Pitch — Nuclear Weapons Today
We welcome pitches to either project or both at lheeley@inkstickmedia.com, if you have ideas that fit each call. If you’re not sure where your story lands, that’s okay too; we’re happy to talk it through.
If this is your jam, please send us:
- Your pitch
- How you plan to gather audio on location, and three field sounds you expect to gather for the story
- What aspect of this story is original reporting? What do you intend to reveal that hasn’t been covered before?
- Your experience using Descript, and which DAWs you use
- Clips of your previous documentary, investigative, or sound-rich storytelling
- How soon you can start, and when you expect to finish
Our expectation is that you come with significant reporting and technical experience.
We’re really looking forward to reading your ideas!